In an interview, SPD chairman Klingbeil proposed the general abolition of spouse splitting for new marriages instead of the savings in parental allowance planned by Family Minister Lisa Paus (Greens).
(Photo: IMAGO/Panama Pictures)
Berlin Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has relativized the initiative of his party leader Lars Klingbeil to abolish spouse splitting.
Spouse splitting is the legal situation in Germany, but “of course there are always discussions as to whether it is disproportionate, especially for those who earn a few hundred thousand euros a year,” said Scholz on Thursday evening at a citizens’ dialogue in Füssen, Bavaria.
“But for the average earner, no one is going to propose a worsening of what the tax burden is now. I believe that is always very important for classifying the discussion.”
In an interview, the SPD chairman Klingbeil had proposed the general abolition of spouse splitting for new marriages – regardless of the amount of income – instead of the savings in parental allowance planned by Family Minister Lisa Paus (Greens).
“We are finally getting rid of marriage splitting. This would put an end to the antiquated tax model that favors the classic distribution of roles between men and women. And the state would save money,” Klingbeil told the editorial network Germany (RND). The Greens were open to it, and the FDP promptly rejected the proposal.
With spouse splitting, the joint income of a couple is halved, the income tax due is calculated and the tax liability is then doubled. This is particularly useful for couples where one earns a lot and the other a little. The marriage splitting was only written into the Income Tax Act in 1958 at the instigation of the Federal Constitutional Court.
Scholz answers questions from the capital’s journalists
Spouse splitting is also likely to be discussed at the Chancellor’s traditional summer press conference. On Friday (11:00 a.m.), the SPD politician will answer questions from the capital’s journalists for about 90 minutes, just a few days before his vacation.
Among other things, it should be about the turbulence of the past few weeks in the traffic light coalition of SPD, Greens and FDP and the poll high of the AfD, which is now in second place behind the Union and ahead of the Social Democrats. But the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine could also play a role shortly after the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Scholz will attend the EU-Latin America summit in Brussels early next week and then go on vacation to “friendly European countries”. The resort is not yet known.
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